“Seven seemed huge and was not our original thought, but God laughed at our plans and now we can't imagine life any other way.”
Steve and Rachel Pankratz of Arcadia always knew they wanted a large family, they just never specified - how big! “We both came from families of three kids and liked growing up with siblings, so we always talked about having three to five kids,” Rachel explains. “Seven seemed huge and was not our original thought, but God laughed at our plans and now we can't imagine life any other way.”
Yes, you read that right. She said seven! The Pankratz recently celebrated the birth of the seventh child at INTEGRIS Health Edmond Hospital. Not only do they now have seven children, but they were all delivered at the same hospital!
“We moved to Oklahoma when I was 35 weeks pregnant with our first baby and there were not many OBs willing to take on a woman that late in pregnancy,” Rachel remembers. “We connected with a doctor at INTEGRIS Health Edmond, toured the hospital and were impressed with the rooms, cleanliness and the staff. Thankfully, we decided when we did because Chris came early, born just a few days after the tour!”
She continues, “Christopher needed a short NICU stay, and as a first-time mom who didn't know anyone in Oklahoma - I was terrified. But the care he and I received made us want to come back again and with each stay I have received the same high-quality care.”
The first Pankratz baby was born in 2014, the seventh, Peter, was born just last month. In all, there are five boys and two girls. They range in age from ten years to one month. Their fourth child, Matthias, was the first baby born in the hospital’s new labor floor in 2020.
“We have had several of the same nurses over the years for different babies, and it has been fun to see the same friendly faces,” Rachel says. “One nurse, who I adored with our first, helped deliver our sixth! The nurses have been gold during the labors and recoveries, knowing little tips and tricks to help ease labor or calm a fussy newborn. Truly, from the doctors to the nurses to the housekeepers, every person has been great during the whole stay at the hospital. They explain everything they are doing and answer questions fully without judgement.”
The Pankratz don’t plan on having any more children but if they do, they say they will continue to choose INTEGRIS Health Edmond Hospital each and every time. “Seven seems like the perfect number, though our kids are already arguing about what to name another baby,” Rachel chuckles. But she says that will only happen if it is a total surprise!
